Pilot burner



Dec. 1 8, 1951 H, B, DQNLEY 2,579,372

l PILOT BURNER Filed Oct. 11, 1947 i* 0 DA O I I I I l I l l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Invenfa'r Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED sTATEs PATENTV oFFlcE- Harold B. Donley, Columbus, Ohio, assignor-to 'Columbus Metal Products, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 11, 1947, Serial No. 779,358

. 1 Claim. V l

This invention relates to a pilot burner for use primarily in a burner of the so-called pot type," and has for one object to provide a pilot burner which may -be conveniently positioned within a burner.

Another object is to provide a pilot, burner arranged in the line of the main fuel supply for a burner, and so constructed that all of the fuel which is burned within the main burner passes through the pilot burner either to be burned in or near the pilot or to be discharged into .the main burner for combustion therein.

Another object is to provide a simple pilot burner for use in a burnerand provided with an auxiliary air supply.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims. o

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a Vertical section through one form of burner to which the pilot may be applied;

Figure 2 is a sectional detail taken at line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating the pilot itself in plan.

Like parts are indicated by like characters in the specification and drawings.

In the form here shown, l designates a wall of a burner. The space enclosed by the wall l is partially closed by a bottom member 2 which is open as at 3. A ledge member 4 is fixed within the wall I. A burner pot 5 is positioned within the wall I and is supported from the ledge 4 by means of a fiange 6 which rests upon the ledge. The pot is closed by a bottom member 1. A flame plate 8 preferably rests upon the flange 6 at the top of the pot. It is provided with an opening 9 and may have an annular centering or positioning member IO formed in it. The pot 5 is provided with rows or groups of holes li and with a final and upwardly positioned row or group of perforations |2. As shown in Figure 1, these are upwardly inclined.

Fuel is'supplied to the main burner through a conduit |3 threaded in a nipple |4 which is itself fixed in the wall of the pot 5.

|5 indicates generally a pilot housing member. It is open on its bottom and rests against the bottom 'I of the pot, which thus serves as a closure for the pilot housing and assembly. One or more notches or openings IG are formed in or near the bottom of the pilot member [5, and serve as outlets for fuel not burned or vaporized in the pilot itself.

The pilot housing may be provided with an upwardly directed chimney-like member ll lthe pilot housing |5. With the air conduit 24 which is threaded into a which defines an outlet opening 4| V A wall memt ber 19 formed Within, and preferably integral with the pilot housing |5, provides a passage 20 which is closed by the wall 5 of the pot against 'which the pilot structure is positioned. One or more rows or groups of perforations 2| and 22 may be formed in the wall |9. An upward extension 23 is formed preferably integrally with It is in communication "materially from the spirit of myinvention, and

I wish, therefore, that my showing be taken as in a broad sense illustrativerand diagrammatic rather than limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In the form here shown the device is assembled in an annular pot. It is not limited to that association, and the pot or burner might be of any Shape. Whatever the shape of the pot or burner, since it in effect forms one or more walls of the pilot structure, the latter will be given a Shape suitable so that it will always fit against one or more walls of the burner in the manner necessary to accomplish satisfactory use.

Fuel both for pilot Combustion and for the main combustion enters the conduit |3 from any suitable source. Its quantity may be controlled manually or automatically. Unless burned or vaporized within the pilot structure, fuel is discharged through the opening or openings IS and flows out onto the fioor 1. It is there partially vaporized and a rich mixture rises past the perforations Vll through which air entersv The final or secondary air enters through the perforations [2. Combustion takes place generally above the bottom of the pot toward the upper part of the top, and the fiames are formed therein and extend through the opening 9 in 'the fiame plate or ring 8.

When the entire burner is not to be used, and when only the pilot is to be used, the quantity of fuel entering through the conduit 13 is reduced to the point at which it can all be consumed in or adjacent to the pilot, and the following operation takes place. As this limited ;pilot fiame will generally extend upwardly through the opening IB and above the upper edge of the member l'l. So long as the quantity of fuel which enters the pipe |3 is only sufilcienttc support combustion |at the pilot, the fuel will be entirely burned at or near the. upper portion of)v the pilot, and thus a pilot'fiame'of small size will be maintained economically. When the pilot fiame is burning and it is 'desired to light the entire burner, the quantity of fuel which is discharged through the conduit 13 is increased be-V yond that which can be burned or vaporized by the pilot. IIfhis excessl quantity of fuel then flows through the openingortopenirigsv |6 into the main burner space, It i there` mixed with the air within that space and with the air which enters through the openings ll and 12, and the main combustion 'above described ocours. This will be maintained as long as a suflicient quantity of fuel is furnished to maintain it. When the quantity offuel isagain reducedibelow that necessary to maintainthe main combustion, the combustion within 'and aboutV the pilot continues and will do so until the quantity of' fuel is again increased.

I claim:

For use in a burner having a pot which includes a bottom wall and a side wall, a generally imperforate wialled pilot structure adapted, when positioned within such a pot, to contact the botwall portions 'adapted to define, when abutting the bottom and side walls of a pot, a mixing chamber adapted to receive a liquid fuel supply delivered to the pot, said pilot structure including upper wall portions adapted to define, With the pot side Wall, a plenum Chamber superposed over the outer portion of the mixing chamber, the plenum chamber being outwardly' open and being thereby adapted, whenflin position .in a pot, to receive an air supply through the side wall Qf-the pot, the pilot structure further including al partition separating the plenum chamber and the niixing Chamber, the said partition having thereina plurality ofair inlet apertures adapted to direct air jets from the interior of the plenum chamber tov themixing Chamber space below the :Partitionv and'within,V the pilot structure, the pilot m structure having toprand side wall portions extom and side walls of the pot, the pilot structure including generally imperforate top and side tending inwardly from the plenum chamber, the top wall portion having therein an upwardly open ame aperture, the inwardly extending side wall portion of the mixing Chamber being formed to provide a fuel outlet adapted, when the pilot structure is in position in a pot, to permit liquid fuel to fiow from the mixing chamber into the interior of the pot- HAROLD VB. DONLEY.

REFERENCES CITED' The following references are of record in the file o f this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

